


We the Pioneers

by ANRIII



Category: Original Work
Genre: Abduction, Academy, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Awkwardness, BL, Biting, F/F, F/M, Fairies, Feels, Friendship, Ghosts, M/M, Magic, Mpreg, Mythical Beings & Creatures, Pack, Pining, Queer Themes, Runaway, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Shapeshifting, Slow Burn, Supernatural Elements, Unrequited Crush, Vampires, Werewolves, Witches, omega - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-10
Updated: 2019-06-15
Packaged: 2020-02-29 13:05:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18778867
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ANRIII/pseuds/ANRIII
Summary: Jun, a runaway werewolf, knows better than to trust vampires. These two clans have been at war for more than a millennia and will never be allies.Enter Ralphie. A vampire with an offer he can’t refuse: enrol in Pioneer Academy, and have the walls keep him safe from the clutches of the creepy Dr Claus.But there is a second option, take refuge with werewolves and risk being forced into an unwanted mating. Because in this world, werewolves have become an endangered species, and Omegas are the key to keeping their kind alive.





	1. Chapter 1

JUN

01 April 2019

Once, we the Pioneers ruled the world. We were witnesses to the Neanderthals moving about on their feet and knuckles, thumping their chests, grunting, and clubbing one another for sport. They weren’t an intelligent lot. That, I can tell you.

Some history books have said it was a brave Pioneer who taught them to speak. Before it was all grrrrr, bwahhha, mookyoo. Honestly, I don’t know what sounds they would’ve made. These are only assumptions on my part. 

Despite the evolution of the Neanderthal population over the last two millennia, their IQ hasn’t improved much. They still use violence to seize what they believe is entitled to them. Only now that they walk with their backs up straight and have thrown out their loincloths, they insist on being called the human race. 

You might have flooded the world with your seed but there are some out here who will do anything within their means to take back what was once ours. 

We are still here, hiding behind our Neanderthal skins. 

Watching. 

Waiting. 

It hasn’t always been harmonious among the five clans. The fight for superiority is a struggle. 

Vampires, the testier of the bunch still keep their noses in the air and only see the rest as food. Werewolves hate vampires because they treat them like inferior beings and hate witches because they used magic to cage them. And the ghosts hate vampires because they are usually the cause behind their untimely demise. 

Witches hate everyone. And everyone hates the witches except fairies because they don’t hate anyone, and aren’t even aware that vampires hate them. Vampires are paranoid by nature but have good reason to keep away from fairies since their blood might taste sweet to them but is deadly poisonous.

There were wars, and betrayal, but mostly our dwindling numbers sent us Pioneers into hiding. For now we are relegated to the shadows, living among the Neanderthals. 

And thats how I ended up here— A runaway with no place to go. 

What happened before this point is irrelevant. Actually I don’t want to go into it if thats all right with you. Let’s start this story with me on a bus. 

It’s the last bus for the day, and the rain is coming down as if the sky has been holding in a pee for the entire run of Return of the King movie. And now it's bursting bladder pisses upon the earth with great gusto. Cape Town isn’t called the Cape of Storms for no reason, I guess. 

Finding a dry place to sleep is going to be a problem. Maybe I can wait for the last person to jump off the bus and sneak to the back, since I’m sitting at the front.

I catch my reflection in the window. A young man looks back at me —full lips, a broad nose, and oversized hipster spectacles frames my brown eyes. No traces of what I truly am. 

“Show me again,” whispers a guy to his girlfriend, who is wrapped in his arms. They sit right at the back of the bus. Stupid high schoolers. All they know is books and crushes. What do they know about what lurks on these streets at night?

I push my spectacles back, raise my nose and sniff. Buses are a cesspool of rank odours, but above the diesel fumes, my nose picks up the tang of arousal radiating from the teenagers, curdled milk from a dishevelled mother coddling her upset baby, who grunts even louder when she pats him on the back. 

A young woman sits a few rows behind me, looking wistfully out of the window. Like most Capetonians she is mixed race, a shade or two lighter than me. We look to be about the same age except I will never be caught dead in a Christmas elf costume. Her unruly curly hair is barely contained by the fluffy green hat with a silver bell dangling on one side. 

The only thing joyful about her is the green greens of her jacket. She’s chubby, brown and female, not a typical look for Santa’s little helpers. What an odd little duck. And yet the strangest thing about her is that she has no smell. Every creature has one. Except her. 

An electric current zings up my spine. I sniff again. Nothing. 

Her bell jingles when she lifts her head as if she senses me watching her. I quickly look away with bile rising in my throat. Sweat drips down my back. I suddenly don’t feel so great. My stomach rumbles so loudly that even the kids in the back seat stop tittering and look up at me. 

I pull my “I love London” peak cap off with shaky paws, and rub my palms over the over the peach fuzz of my nearly hairless head. I wipe my forehead on the sleeve of my floral bomber jacket. And put my baseball cap back on. 

This feeling. It’s too soon. Not yet. I pressed the red button beside my seat, and jump up. It’s time I get off this bus. A sharp pain hits my abdomen. The bus slows, and I make my way to the front on unsteady feet. I grip the grimy pole tightly as the bus comes to a stop. 

If I stay a minute longer on this bus, the Neanderthals will see. And that’s illegal. There are plenty debates on whether we should come out and be proud of what we are. 

But the old guards will never allow it. They don’t allow many things. They have done nothing to protect me. There are so many of us who are suffering, and yet they sit in their castles counting their gold. 

“You all right there, boy?” asks the bus driver.  
“Just fine,” I grunt, my legs buckling beneath. “good night, sir.”

My gut twists and turns. Not now. Not now. This is the worst time to go into heat. I can’t deal with this and keep an eye out for them. I will be weakened and won’t be able to fight back. 

A hand cups my elbow giving me support as I take the steps, one at a time. The grip is tight and steady, and the person doesn’t let go despite both my feet being on the pavement and the bus is already heading to its next stop. Their hand is ice on my fevered skin.

“Breathe… just breathe,” she says. Her breath smells like peanut butter and strawberry jam, and reminds me of my grandmother who would make me PB&J sandwiches everyday after school. How I wish that I can go back to that time. To a time when every day feels like Christmas. And I am not what I am — an abomination. 

In my mind, I know I should thank this good samaritan but the words can’t come out. Not when I know what she is. The chubby elf wears her skin well. A forced smile sits on her lips, her canines a little too big for her mouth. It is the silver gleam of her eyes that gives her away. 

“You're an Omega. Right,” she says, “let me help you.”

“Thank you, I’m quite all right.” I pull my arm from her grasp and walk away on unsteady feet. What can she possibly know about Omegas? But she holds onto my arm. Her grip firm, almost too painful. 

“Please let me go,” I whimper. 

No smell. Fuck. There is only one species that has no scent. The apex predator. I’m so screwed. This is vampire country and I was foolish to think I can survive in these parts of the country. 

Laws dictates that no Pioneer will harm any member of the five clans. Those were the treaties signed between the clans. But there are those who don’t care for treaties and rules. 

I’m going to die. Alone. Forgotten. 

“If I don’t help. Every wolf within a 100 metre radius will be on you,” she grunts, “you’re going into heat and there is only one thing that will help.” 

She opens her mouth wide, her fangs shining in the moonlight. I know I need to run away. My legs give out beneath me. But she keeps me steady. 

Her fangs pierce my skin. It stings at first and then starts to feel good. Oh, so good. My veins fill with euphoria. I am floating on clouds made of candy floss. So high I can almost touch the stars. 

“Thats a good little wolf,” she whispers in my ear. 

Werewolves and vampires are natural enemies. That doesn’t matter because it feels so good. So I let go. All the pain disappears and any feeling of anxiety fades into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

RALPHIE

01 April 2019

Fuck. Fuckitty. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I retract my fangs from his neck, and lick the wound. His brown skin looks as if it hasn’t been broken, except for a few speckles of blood. The magical awesomeness of vampire spit. 

I just drank the blood of a Pioneer. 

My stomach clenches and burns.

Fuck! 

Cars hooters blare. I look around. Double whammy, not only is today my last day walking the earth but I have exposed my entire species. It's not like i’m hidden in the shadows. But no one seems to have noticed a predator taking a bite out of an ill boy. 

The twinkling night sky is witness to my crimes. Even a statue of Jesus crucified on the cross which hangs above the door of a church, looks down at me, judging me for taking advantage of this troubled youth. 

Well, this is bad. Helping people just gets you into a load of shit. Like I don’t even know this wolf. Why would I put my life on the line for a stranger? I can just see the headlines: Rogue vampire takes a bite out of a dear Omega. 

I run my tongue over my teeth. My fangs are out and ready to feast. 

I’m no wolf, but even to my nose, he does smell quite delicious. Like an extra spicy mulled wine. Not that i’m the type to dine on live stock. Objectively speaking. 

I truly feel for any wolf who catches a whiff of this. They will have no control. They'll be driven mad with lust. They’ll want to snatch this kid from me, and have their way with him, for sure. But force is a crime and I’m a firm believer in consent. And how can any creature consent to sex in this state? 

What a scientific anomaly. I have read many journals pertaining to Omegas. And yet, I’ve never been this close to an Omega before. There’s one at the academy. But the wolves are quite protective of him. I have so many questions. Why give males a womb? Why would evolution choose male bodies? Wouldn't females with a uterus be a better choice? 

My fingers are buzzing to touch, to prod, to test. There is so much I want to know. I need to learn. The discoveries I will make. The papers I can write and the debates to be had. No. 

Thats if I survive the inquiry. Biting a Pioneer will not go unpunished. 

I can just explain my hypothesis to the council. Theoretically speaking, vampire venom has been known to trigger an orgasm in victims. And if it enters the blood stream of an Omega it would trick the body into releasing oxytocin and dopamine, which will keep the heat temporarily at bay. And thats exactly what it’s done. Yay me! My hunch is right. But will the council be convinced. 

If I am found guilty. 

I can’t think of that.

The Omega lays shit faced in my embrace. Not a care in the world. He looks fucking stupid wearing a pair hipster spectacles. Nothing irritates me more than someone who wears glasses to be ironic. I think you don’t grasp the real definition of irony. 

For a wolf he is a little smaller than the ones I have seen. Like he’d been underfed for an extended period of time. We are about he same age and height. He has a strong jaw, and a full mouth turned up into a smile. Yes, he is sated. A vampire’s bite can give more pleasure than you can ever imagine. 

He is good, for now. When he wakes, his heat will hit him full force. Ideally, I should keep him sedated until it passes. The venom should hold for at least an hour or two. 

This isn’t good.

Feeding on a human is one thing but feeding from a wolf is a death sentence. I will be hung, decapitated, chucked into a pyre or just tied to a post and left to be incinerated by the sun. 

I stole his blood, helped him find relief and didn’t think any further than that. God, what am I to do?

First, I need to get off the streets. If a random wolf gets wind of his scent, I will have to battle him. And nothing is worse than a wolf going alpha. And I’ve spilt enough blood. 

The bell at the end of my elf hat chimes. I yank the silly thing off my head, dig for my phone in my pumpkin short’s pocket, and dial. 

“Can you pick me up? I'll send a pin,” I say before my friend can respond, and hang up. I quickly send the pin for our location and put away my phone.

My jaw slackens, saliva pools in my mouth. I struggle to hold back my dinner, and projectile vomit all over my right elf bootie and candy striped leggings. At least I didn’t get any on the wolf. It was one thing to steal his blood, and another to throw it back up on him.

In my defence, if I did by chance get some of my sick on him, it will go well with the odours coming off him. It's been three days since he last bathed.

And from the stench of him, he hasn’t been in contact with any wolves for some time. That is very odd since wolves tend to stick to packs. This Omega was becoming more and more of a complication. 

I pull him into bus stop shelter and prop him on my lap as if he is a child, he snuggles his head into the crook of my neck. My friends will have many questions, and I should have at least one answer. 

“What shall I call you, little wolf?” my voice thick with thrall is the only way I could break into his peaceful slumber.

His eyes flutters open, “Jun,” he gulps as if the words are stuck in his throat. “Junebug Mei.” and like that he goes back to his dreams.

Jun’s body heat seeps into my bones. Werewolves seem to have a natural warmness ingrained in their skins, unlike vampires. Myth is that we are constantly cold. This is misinformation. We're only cold when we need to feed, it's our body’s way of telling us we need to feed. 

It isn’t long before a sleek black car with dark tinted windows pulls to a stop in front of the shelter. The door pops open and Spice Girls’ “wannabe” blasts from the speakers. The door shuts and cuts off the sound. 

A fairy levitates before me, her feet don’t touch the ground. Her opalescent wings flutter and cast a shimmer over her high tops, black tutu, pink Spice Girls T-shirt and the headphones around neck. 

“Howzit,” I say as if there isn’t a wolf in heat passed out and draped over my thighs. 

“Rah, you can’t just pick strays off the street,” Ajax remarked speaking fast, her head down, eyes glued to the screen of her cellphone. Her sparkly nails clicks against the screen. 

Ajax has a deft hand for cosmetics. Today she has experimented with neon blue eye shadow, violet lipstick, and silver dust on her cheeks. Her light brown hair is braided to look like a milk-maiden twined with daisies. 

“I’m planning on sneaking him into the academy.”

“Ok,” she pockets her phone. “need help getting him in the car?”

“Just get the door.” 

She opens the door, and I carry him like a damsel in distress, and slide onto the black leather seats. The door bangs shut.

“Hey Rah!” sings Pan from the driver seat. His green eyes studies me in the rear view mirror. Pan is Ajax’s bestie, an honorary fairy but is actually a witch. And from the look of these two, they just came from a fairy gathering. 

“What have we here?” he coos, flicking a few golden braids twined with flowers over his shoulder, “did daddy dearest give you a wolfie for your name day?” 

Let me just point out that with Pan you have to read between the lines. What he says might come across as jest but it is not. He was pointedly saying, “WTF is a wolf doing in my overpriced car. Are you breaking the law? And I will end you if you get me jailed.” 

Ajax slips into the car and buckles up, her fingers taps away at her phone again. “she’s up to no good again, and we’re going to be her accomplices.” 

Pan clicks his tongue and slams his foot on the accelerator pedal. His fingers twitching between a piece of string as he turns the steering wheel. Pan is an impatient driver, and will even use magic to change the robots. 

He wraps a longer piece of string several times around his index finger. And his very precious car floats through traffic, as he zips to the other side of town. Pan excels in thread magic but I’ve heard from other students that he isn’t struggling in the other arts. 

Someone once said that magic is like a drug, and witches get off using it. I've never gotten around to asking Pan if its true. But I can definitely see the appeal of using it to make my life more convenient. 

“You think Atlas will let us use the basement?” I ask Ajax.

“It's your lab,” states Ajax, who seems to only be half listening, “you can do as you please.”

“Will she be okay with a strange wolf in her territory?”

“She says its fine.”

Thats Ajax, she is always one step ahead of you. Despite her usual indifferent demeanour, she’s actually fully aware of every little thing happening around her, and like Pan she will cut you if you fuck with her. 

The car comes to a silent halt. The academy is on the other side of the grey brick walls high with the tree branches cascading over them. You can't really see the building or the grounds from here. You can imagine how the Neanderthals will react if they know monsters live in their neighbourhoods. 

“I did a full scan to check if the kid had any injuries or broken bones. I found this,” he points to the back of his neck. “a tracker.”

The fucker (Pan) can do all sorts or wonderful shit with any kind of thread. And is also a multitasker. Why does he have to be such a fucking nosey little witch? Well, he can suck it. His magic can’t pick up that sleeping beauty here is an Omega. 

“He belongs to someone.And they’re probably going to want him back,” says Pan.

“Fuck them, finders keepers,” I declare. I try not to show any surprise on my face. Even though my fingers are itching to rip out the spyware. If the wolf is part of a breeder ring, we are so fucked. 

Thank the heavens that these two don’t have super sonic hearing or they will pick up on my elevated heart beat. If I want Pan and Ajax to follow my crazy plan I will have to at least fake it before they notice that I have abso-fucking-lutely no clue as to what I’m doing.


	3. Chapter 3

RALPHIE

05 April 2019

So this is how I’m going to spend the last days of my life. I should be skinny dipping or sky diving or maybe going into hiding or something. Instead, I’m keeping watch over a sedated wolf while I’m shitting bricks about the tracker encased in a magical barrier sitting on my desk. 

Four days. Thats how long I’ve had to come up with a plan. for four days i’ve sat in this folding chair, ass numb, like a statue hoping for a plan to fall at my feet. 

I should destroy it. But first, we need to find out where the signal is going. Or at least send the wolf back and hope he doesn’t tell anyone about the bite. Oh, I’m so fucked. I’ve chewed most of my nails. and I’m worried i might start to gnaw at my bones soon. I’m stressed AF. 

The mewling sound of the Omega snaps me from my thoughts. 

The wolf is asleep on a cot in my lab. His body curled into a ball, whimpering as he slept. He reminds me of a little puppy you just can’t help but cuddle. 

I know vampires have a bad rep for watching people sleep. But trust me … It's not a thing. This is the first and last time I’ll watch anyone sleep. Do I look like Edward Cullen? Geez!

I’m just making sure he doesn’t choke on his tongue since he’s doped up on vampire venom. According to my research today marks the end of his heat. And that means we should stop drugging the boy. 

His face looks so peaceful which made me feel like a dick for biting the fucker in the neck. 

In my defence, it was either get a little bitten or get a lot fucked by a stranger. As an expert on my mouth, my hygiene is superb. But who knows where Mr Stranger Wolf’s business has been. besides Just eww.

Who knows what kind of mate his body would’ve summoned. Virile wolves within a 100 metre radius would’ve gathered around this creature and fight tooth and nail to get a chance to breed. 

My scientist brain is just about pitching a tent right now. I have in my presence evidence of modern evolution. The chances Omegas go into heat three to four times a year. And the cherry on the top—there have been instances of Omegas delivering up to seven cubs in a single pregnancy. Like what??!!!!

When he wakes there are many things I’d ask, like how cognisant is he during his heat? Was his father an Omega? Are there any known omegas in his family line?

But if I’m honest, I’m not ready for him to wake. There is no escaping the reality that I broke the law and have made my friends into accomplices. This isn’t something that any member of the clans mess with. And here I am. inside a magical bubble that blocks his scent from the rest of the world, staring at an Omega.

I pull my nails from my mouth. This ugly habit of biting my nails needs to stop. 

Ajax floats cross legged in the air, popping her pink gum, and texting or vlogging. Who knows what she does on her phone. 

As Pan diligently checks the wolf’s IV drip. Pan diligently checking the IV drips and as usual i can’t look away. He really is for a lack of better word stunning— flushed pale skin, a soft pink mouth and kohl lined his eyes. There’s sweetness to his face thats juxtaposed to the strength of his body. 

As usual he’s topless, his barrel chest is as smooth as a baby’s bottom. ridiculous as always, a barefoot viking earth child in Aladdin pants. 

There is no point in avoiding the inevitable.

“I bit the wolf.” I say it quick and without any pause, “And when he wakes he’s definitely going to tell someone and then I’m going to be fucked.You guys will be fine. He hasn’t seen your faces yet. But I have a plan. I think he needs to stay here and register as a student.”

“Fucking hell,” Pan says exasperated, “can nothing be simple with you?” 

“I had to bite him,” i squeak as a hollow nervous laugh bubbles form my chest. 

“Is it a vampire thing?” chirps Ajax, her wings beating furiously. “ Do you want to bite me too?” She turns to Pan, “Does she know my blood is poison to her. Do you think she’ll risk it, and turn to dust. Is she that thirsty? I don’t want her to drink my blood.” she flees to the other side of the room. 

“B…Be…because,” I stutter. “He’s an Omega.” 

Ajax’s gum falls out of her mouth to the ground in a great splat. Her wings stills, and the room falls eerily quiet without the rhythmic flutter. 

“Shit,” Pan moans, raking his fingers through his sun-kissed hair, gold glitter falling to his feet, “The wolves are going to rip out our fucking throats. We all know how they are scrambling to pair Omegas with affluent wolves. And you thought: hey I’m just going to take one and keep him as a pet?” 

“Not if we get him on our side,” I mumble, not completely convinced by my own plan.

“Wolves don’t have any side except their own,” declares Pan, “really, you had to bite a unicorn. A fucking unicorn! He’s practically a deity among his people.”

I jump up from my seat, and it clatters to the ground. standing face to face with Pan. “He's a scientific anomaly. He's a male wolf with reproductive organs. Three times a year he gives off pheromones that can even drive the stoic of men into a sexual rage.”

“We’re all screwed,” he hisses in my face. 

“Jun. thats his name. he was alone out there,” I say, straightening my back, “he must’ve run away from his pack. Or he was kidnapped by Neanderthals. Either way he has a better chance with us.” 

“If we follow this crazy plan of yours…” says Ajax, still frozen but her eyes follows our every move. 

I bite my lip, but jut of my chin forward, “For this plan to work we need allies among the wolves.”

Pan is stunned into silence, his eyebrows so high they practically cut into his hairline. Pan took a step back. No one spoke. We all simply looked at the sedated wolf. We’ve all heard stories of Omegas. and for the first time i saw him. not as a wolf or an Omega. but as a living being.

“Will he be ok?” asks the fairy who walks the space between her and Jun, and puts a hand to his forehead. 

We need the wolves for this plan to work. They’d probably prefer to meet in their territory. The grounds have been divided into five sections, one for each clan, and at the centre is the academy building. Each dorm is designed to each group’s specifications— the wolves have cabins in the middle of the woods, whereas the vampires have luxury apartments. 

I’d prefer to meet in neural territory. My lab being in fairyland would be the best location. 

“He won’t wake for a while.” i say, “But we’ll need some witchy something something to make sure the wolves don’t snatch our Omega friend.”

A cat’s cradle forms between his hands. The string is how he channels his magic. A breeze spins around the room, and then is gone. 

“Done and done,” he snaps. the energy causing his hair to halo and crackle around his head. “and who, pray tell, would be stupid enough to go along with your plans?”

“There is Simon,” suggests Ajax, her wings flutter again. She looks to Pan who huffs and stomps his foot. At least I know I have her support. 

“Too rigid. He’d report us to his council,” he rebuffs, his bare feet slapping on the concrete as he paces back and forth. 

I watch their banter. if anyone could get the witch on board, it is Ajax. 

“Dylan.” 

“Excellent between the sheets but is as dumb as a brick.” 

“There is Pasha,” says the fairy, and pauses. “but he’s a Xili and all. Sabra could convince him.” 

they two friends fall silent. 

Pasha is a Xili short for auxiliary which is a derogatory term for pioneers who were once humans. Even though he’s a Xili, he’s not looked down upon. And so he will sympathise with our cause. Surely, he will feel for the creature.

“Sabra wouldn’t risk her position as alpha,” argues Pan. 

“We should ask Sabra.” I butt in. She is my first choice and only choice. 

“As the heir she has responsibilities,” hisses Pan.  

“As the next in line, would she turn her back on a lone wolf?” I ask.

“True.” says Pan, those green eyes piercing right through my heart. “But the bite.”

“We don’t tell her,” I state with a shrug. 

He sucks his teeth. Looks to Ajax. The fairy could be prickly most of the time but she’s a huge softy. Its clear that Pan knows he’s been out voted. And nods. 

Before we call in the wolves there’s one issue that we need to sort out. 

“Echo,” I call. 

Ajax and Pan groan, “Not a ghost.”

The ghost, Echo materialises beside Pan, who jumps slightly at the sudden appearance. They take off their hat, and puffs up their short curly hair. And turns up their nose , as Pan and Ajax eyes her suspiciously.

Echo is a ghost who lives in their bronze school uniform and black top hat. Ghosts are an odd sort. They can go invisible at their will, or be their usual transparent image except in the sunlight. And they can change their outfits at the drop of a hat. I think thats a pretty nifty trick. 

Don't be fooled, Echo’s hat is just for show. They lost their life recently, in the last decade. A recent edition to the dead. They never did say how they died. It would be rude to bring up one’s death. So I didn’t. 

If we are to uncover the mystery behind the tracker and the little wolf, we’ll need a detective. And I don’t believe in anyone’s skills more than Echo. Being ghost, they can go by undetected by most. 

“As we discussed,” I say, “I need you to be discrete. Find out where this came from and if these guys are going to give us any trouble.”

“Sure thing,” they say, looking from me to the two hovering over the wolf, “should I prioritise this case over the other thing you asked me to investigate?”

“No. no,” I say, “both are of equal importance.”

“So not only did you go to a ghost behind our backs,” huffs Pan, his eyes on the gum on the ground. “but we don’t get a say on how to move forward.”

“If we want to protect Jun. we need to figure out if he’s a runaway or a victim of kidnapping.”

“Know thy enemy,” recites Ajax as a mysterious blade appears in her hand and slices through the air. 

“It’s the Neanderthals” says Pan, his hands sparking as if he is ready to strangle somebody, “I’m sure they’d love to get their hands on one of us.”  

Why would he automatically think it’s the humans. It could be a Pioneer. but those kinds of thoughts I’d rather keep to myself. 

“I don’t know anything, but something is very wrong,” I say.

“Then do it,” snaps Pan, as he pulls a piece of string with several knots between his fingers into a straight line. One knot unravels, and the gum disappears, “Make the call.”

“This is going to bite us in the ass,” Ajax mutters under her breath, her focus back on her phone.

I pick up my cell and scroll through my contacts. I bite my thumb nail, and stare at Sabra’s contact. if i do this… 

I press the call button. and press the phone to my ear. 

there is a moment of silence before the person on the other side says, “Oh, hi there, stranger.”

“Meet me at my lab. And bring your man,” I say. And I hang up. 

“If this starts a war,” he grumbles and stomps his foot, “I’ll stick a bow on your stupid forehead and deliver you to the wolves myself.” He points a finger at me, “Don’t forget it!”

Pan stomps out of the room, and Ajax follows. i hover over the Omega, pull the blankets up to his chin, and pat his chest. I get it. I fucked up. And I feel like I’m digging my own grave. And I’m scared shitless that this is my end. it would be easier if i just turned myself in but I had to do something, anything to not give the council a reason not to kill me.


	4. Chapter 4

RALPHIE

05 April 2019

I give my clothing a quick sniff. Omega pheromones have a tendency to soak onto your clothing. I smell nothing. So that must mean Pan’s scent blocker spray is doing its job. 

I stand outside the building of fairy’s recreational hall waiting for the wolves to show up. 

The two storey grey building serves as an alternate location for fairies to use when the weather is poor. But fairies being fairies can party through the worst climate. And with Atlas’s blessing, I made a few changes to the basement which is now my personal lab.

I rub my hands back and forth over my arms. The wait is freaking me the fuck out. Adrenaline coursing through my veins. Don't fuck this up. Don’t. Fuck. This. Up. 

Pan wasn’t lying when he said the wolves only look out for themselves. Pack is everything. They're diminishing numbers have put them on guard, especially around vampires. It has to do with the fact that they can’t scent us. 

You see, wolves lead with their noses. And categorise every thing through scents — food / pack / emotions. 

Vampire bodies somehow naturally don’t give off any smells. It's a predator thing. How lethal would a lion be if it didn’t carry a scent. Springboks wouldn't stand a chance. And a wolf’s pride would ever allow it to be in the same tier as a deer. 

I don’t like the idea of taking blood from a living creature. I’m a vegetarian of sorts surviving solely on synthetic haemoglobin. i’m a bit of an anomaly among vampires. Behind closed doors vampires speak at length about the tastiest feedings, and of a time when they could freely feast on wolf blood. Since having my first sample of wolf, I can understand the appeal. Jun’s blood was a little too rich for my taste . 

I admit vampires can’t be trusted. I’m not like them. Or at least I used to think I’m nothing like that. 

My hand covers my mouth, as I dry heave. This can all go very wrong. 

Look at the situation from the outside. A vampire, a witch and a fairy have an unconscious Omega in a basement. Let me remind you how rare Omegas are, and their importance to their entire species. And we are pumping vampire venom every three hours into his system so he won’t wake up. The wolves will be within their rights to just fuck us up. 

Sabra is the first to arrive. She is wearing a grey sweater with The words beast printed on it. I bite back witty quip. This is not the time. 

I keep my eyes averted, and try to steady my heart beat. But it is difficult to ignore those neon green running shorts, highlighting her muscular thighs. 

Being typical of her species, she towers over me. Beneath her clothes is the hard body of an olympic athlete with muscles strong enough to bench press me with ease. And I’m not the lightest feather. 

Before me is a strong black woman who is second in line to take over her pack. Among the wolves, she is the only one I would consider a friend. From the first moment we met we just clicked. I have no idea why. We just did. And thats why I get to call her Abe, but to everyone else she is Sabra Montoya.

Fuck. I hope she doesn’t end up hating me.

We waited a beat for her sidekick to arrive. A charcoal grey wolf with amber eyes looks from me to Abe. Even in his wolf form, I can feel suspicion coming off him in waves. His ear twitches, and he turns to look to the forest. A howl burst from his chest. And I stick my hands to my ears as he sings to the moon. 

Pasha. 

His name is Russian but he’s 100% Korean. Like me, Pasha wasn’t born a Pioneer but was changed. His human mother married a Russian wolf, and together Pasha and his mom took the bite. But unlike vampires, wolves have to change their names. There is even a ceremony for the it. Wolves are weird. 

Despite being a Xili, he is most likely going to be the next leader of the wolves at the Pioneer Academy. His step father is a big thing among wolves but doesn’t carry as much clout as Abe’s father. 

Naturally Abe should be the leader of the wolves, since she is the highest ranking wolf on campus but she turned the roll down. If Pasha takes on the role, it would be like she is leading, anyway. Where the one is, the other follows. 

Abe beckons him over. Pasha scrunches his nose, lifts his lip a bit. He sneezes as if clearing his nasal passage before padding towards us. I had to look up to his face. I will never get used to these wolves. They are ginormous. big enough to bite my head off. 

Th wolf pressed his nose to Sabra’s forehead. She chuckles. Another howl rips through his body, vibrations course over his fur, shifting fluidly from wolf to human. 

A naked man stood before me. Wolves have zero qualms with nudity. I look away. Because thats what you do in polite company. But I won’t deny that I took a peak at that thirst trap. 

My eyes travels down his glistening skin, taking it all in — His house tattoo sits on his perfectly formed peck. His black hair keeps flopping in his face into his dark eyes. It needs a cut soon. A string jaw, thick eyebrows, and two piercings at the top of left ear. 

“Should we head inside?” asks Abe, and passes him a pair of shorts. 

“Y…y…yes,” I stutter, yanking the door open. 

The two wolves take the lead into the elevators. Abe smiles but Pasha impatiently taps his foot, his brows knitted in a constant pinch expression. I pressed the basement button. The doors close and steadily drops down. 

“I found a stray wolf,” I say. “And he’s in a bad way,” and for the first time i’m happy to be a vampire. I could spin enough lies to make a quilt and these wouldn’t smell a damn thing. Yay me and my natural scent blocking powers. 

The two wolves share a look. Sabra purses her mouth, and there is no change to his constant scowl. 

“You did the right thing by calling us,” says Abe. 

Despite, the fact that we are friends. I’ll always be an outsider. 

“Err,” I say, “there’s a bit of a complication.” 

The bell dings, and the doors open. The wolves step out of the elevator, and a tremor runs through their body. 

“Magic,” he snarls, and pinches his nose, “Pan’s work, I presume.”

We’ve breached Pan’s barrier, and magic affects different Pioneers in weird and wondrous ways.

Pan waves. Ajax stands with her arms crossed scowling at the wolves. Echo is nowhere to be seen. And Jun lay like Sleeping Beauty on my cot as if he doesn’t have a care in the world. Fucker!

The Omega whimpers. Maybe the tension in the room is affecting his dreams. Fuck you can cut the tension with a knife. Jun sniffles, and wiggles beneath the blanket. This s not a good time to wake. Wait. Is that what I think that is. Is that little fucker pitching a tent? OMG. Is this feeling second hand embarrassment? I’ll just look away and pretend I don’t see anything.

Suddenly, Pasha stiffens and sniffs the air. His brown eyes turn amber, his fangs extends. A growl comes from deep within his chest. “an Omega,” he grunts, and lurches himself towards an unconscious Jun. I didn’t react fast enough, and he charged towards him, and slams straight into an invisible wall. 

“oh shit!” blurts Abe. 

Ajax crouches with two blades in her hand, and Pan weaves an intricate cat’s cradle between his fingers, glaring at the rogue wolf. 

I stare open mouth at the usual stone face wolf who is losing his cool, and the pitched tent. Ok, no don’t look at that. 

Thank god for Pan’s genius. I don’t give him enough credit. If it wasn't for this barrier, the wolf would’ve steam rolled over my friends. 

I know the wolf will be safe in Ajax and Pan’s care but I’m in shock. The Omega instantly reacted as soon as he caught a potential bed partners scent. Fascinating. 

Now its time to act Alpha. You have to show your dominance over wolves or they’ll rip you limb for limb. It's a predator thing.

“Ralphie, why do you have an Omega?” asks Abe trying to wrestle Pasha away from the fairy with the pointy knives and pissed off witch. 

“He's not a pet,” sneers the wolf, grinding his teeth. We’re face to face, close enough that spit lands on my face. 

I snort. 

“He's a person” I hiss, “He has thoughts and feelings and isn’t just a baby making factory.” I refused to stand down. He might be taller and have more muscles than I could list. But I’m a goddamned vampire. And I will end him, “Or your sex slave.”

“We know, Ralphie.” Abe says in a soothing voice, standing between us, a hand on his chest and mine. We are heated enough to actually shed our skins and start a rumble. “Pasha just needs to cool his head for a bit. Omega pheromones can be… overwhelming for those who haven’t been around them.”

“No,” grumbles pasha. Lips thin. His jaw stiff as if he’s biting back his words. “we will take him, now.” 

Abe doesn’t move from her position between us. 

“And what?” I yell, pushing back against Abe’s hand, “He'll be forced into a mating? Why do you think he got like this? It doesn’t take a genius to figure out shit must’ve been bad for an Omega to choose the streets over the comfort of a pack.”

Pasha let out a roar. Abe had her hand at his neck, pinching the soft bit of flesh between his neck and shoulder, and forced him into submission. His knees on the ground. 

“If I can’t trust him with you,” I hiss, “I’ll take care of him myself.” 

“Ralphie, we overreacted,” she says, but her eyes honing in on Pasha, his head hanging. “and won’t do it again. We will follow your lead on this.”

“I just need you to confirm that he’s out of heat?” I say through clenched teeth, cross armed. 

She put a firm hand on his shoulder. He gulps. He doesn’t say anything after that, but a low growl rumbles from him. 

“He's done. But he still smells good,” she says with an awkward chuckle. 

“Good to know,” I quickly grab my phone from my pocket, and make notes. It basically confirms the information I found in the journals. This is my chance to ask the wolves about Omegas. 

“Where did you find him?” asks Abe. her nails digging into Pasha’s shoulder. Enough for it to break the skin, and bleed. I can see he’s struggling. Sweat drips down his face. His nostrils flare. Taking in deep breaths. 

“A bus on its way to Bellville. he went into heat an—” I say. 

“I get it.” She shakes her head. 

“He doesn’t smell like other wolves,” mutters pasha, “all wolves need a pack.”

Is it that strange to not be in a pack? The young wolf must’ve been on the streets for a while. And he did all right on his own. 

“What can we do?” she says, and lets go of Pasha. He stands up. His hands behind his back. 

“When he wakes,” I say, considering carefully how to say what needs to be done next, “i’ll try to get some info out of him but it's his choice if he wants to be on the streets or join the academy.” I turn to them, “Thats where you guys come in. I need papers for the kid.” 

“Of course,” says Abe, “what about his parents?”

Pasha’s growls becomes louder. 

“Stop!” she barks. 

“Some wolves shouldn’t be parents,” he sneers, staring at the unconscious wolf.

Abe takes his hand. “i know”

“Do we have an alliance?” I ask. The words are sour in my mouth. 

“Will the fairies let him stay here until his papers are sorted,” asks Abe.

“That can be arranged.”

“then we take him back to moon house.” chimes in Pasha

“Is that so,” I snap, standing in his line of sight, blocking the Omega from his view, “consent. That is what you need to repeat to yourself over and over again.”

Abe stands between us again. “come on guys, we aren’t enemies.”

“I don't trust vampires,” he pulls Abe towards him, as if I’m some kind of crazed monster.

I fold my arms over my chest, “Says the guy who wants to shove his dick into an unconscious person.”

Pasha’s expression darkens. 

“Go cool your head,” says Abe. his face showing a spectrum of conflicting emotions. It looks as if he couldn’t decide if he wanted to stay or leave.

“Now!” she snaps. 

Without a word. The wolf staggers backwards toward the elevator. Pasha’s eyes are on me. Like he expects me to stab him in the kidney. Thats incredulous. Asshole. 

“Sorry about that, Ralphie,” Abe says, as we both watch him hold the elevator door open, “we owe you one.” 

What does she mean she owes me? If anything I owe her. Theres no way Jun would survive the Academy without help from the wolves. And for that I will always be grateful. 

“Actually it’s me who will be in your debt”

“The wolves of Africa will honour you by singing to the moon. You have protected our precious Omega,” she gives me a quick pat on the back, and joins her fellow wolf in the elevator. 

I raise a hand. The wolves nod. And the door closes. 

To her I am an honourable vampire who saved an Omega. Is that all she sees when she looks at me? A vampire?

A twang interrupted my thoughts. Several twangs echoes and bounces off the walls. String splinters falls to the ground at Pan’s feet, and he steps over them. 

“Ugh I hate when you put me in a bubble like that,” hisses Ajax, in flight behind him, “it's stifling in there.” 

“It was for our protection,” snarls Pan. 

“Why didn’t you tell them about the tracker?” asks Ajax, rolling her eyes at Pan’s irritation. 

“I didn’t need them running scared,” I State with a shrug, “wolves are skittish creatures by nature.”

“And what about us?” she asks, “That tracker could belong to dangerous people.”

“Just say I enthralled the two of you,” I say, marching to the cot to watch the rise and fall of the Omega’s chest. My life depends on his decision. Thats absolutely crazy to think about. When he wakes everything will change. 

Pan rolls his eyes. “you know the wolves would immediately report the tracker to the pack and it doesn’t take much of a stretch for me to assume that could mean only one thing. You think wolves are behind this business.” 

Ajax looks wide eyed from me to Pan, “Why would they harm their own?”

“Money,” states Echo, they keep their eyes on the ground, their right hand clenching their wrist. “I think an Omega would could easily go for millions on the black market.”

Both Ajax and Pan shrieked at the sudden appearance of the ghost who is all but forgotten most times. 

Pan clears his throat as if he didn’t scream. “This little wolfie belongs to someone with lots and lots of money.”

Ajax feet hit the ground with a thud, and is gaping like a fish. 

“That or he’s part of a breeding program,” I add, “they need to increase their numbers.”

Each clan usually likes to keep up pretences. like their shit don’t stink. No matter how bad things get, they would never ask for help from another clan. I hope I am wrong. I hope this is an isolated incident. 

“I hate this,” groans Ajax. 

So do i.


	5. Chapter 5

JUN

08 April 2019

Hollow. I suppose I should be used to this feeling. Even my dreams are torturing me with reminders of food. Peanut butter and jam sandwiches. Chicken soup. Milk. Chocolate Chip cookies. 

Still dreaming, obviously. I swallow the drool pooling in my sour mouth. I haven’t had a good meal in so long. there is only so much food you can scavenge from bins. I pull my knees to my chest as my hunger eats through me. 

But I should get up. Time to move on from this place and come up with a plan to get away from The Doctor permanently. 

I peel open my crusty eyes. And sitting in front of me on a sofa chair is an asian teenager in baby blue school uniform whose legs are hanging over the arms rest. Her wings flapping to the rhythm of the tap tapping of her gold nails tapping against the screen of a cellphone. 

No one tells you how fairy wings have the ability to give off a kaleidoscope type glimmer. Its kind of pretty. 

But where am I?

I’m on a cot, in a room I don’t know. This is fucking brilliant, I escaped the lab only to be caught by fairies. My heart is kicking into overdrive. This is not the time to panic. Ugh. My brain feels like mush, as if a stampede of elephants ran over it. 

First things first, need to get this IV drip out of me. Hopefully, my wolf healing will combat whatever is in the IV bag. 

I pull at the IV with shaky hands. A pain shoots up my arm. The needle slips from the vein and hits the ground. Blood sputters on the white sheets. So much blood. Too much. I squeeze the wound with my hand. But it's not healing as fast as it should. All those hungry nights are finally catching up with me. 

I should eat something. 

There. Beside the fairy on a small table is a glass of milk and plate of cookies. She wouldn’t notice. I reach for it. And I’m nearly there before the springs of the cot squeak. 

The fairy looks up from her phone, her dark eyes with long gold tipped lashes keep a steady gaze, the one side of her golden lips quirks up, smacking gum. She blows a red bubble and it pops. 

“He's awake,” she yells and pockets her gold phone. 

I back myself against the wall but these sluggish limbs aren’t cooperating. My body doesn’t quite feel like it's my own. Fuck the drugs are still pumping through my veins. 

What if what we’ve been told is completely wrong? What if fairies aren’t sweet? What if they eat wolves and hang our bones around their delicate necks like jewellery?

There is a crash and pitter patter of feet. My nose twitches. I smell a fairy, and a witch. And a lingering scent of wolves. I take in a ragged breath and position my body on all fours, to make an easy attack. 

The door opens and a burly young man barrels into the room with a daisy crown sitting on top of his golden hair. the witch. He seems to be in a school uniform as well, except he forgot to put on a shirt and shoes. He raises his hands in the air. 

“Careful now,” he says with a thick accent. I can’t quite place it, he’s definitely not south African, maybe somewhere in Europe. “Ra, help!” He squeaks over his shoulder. 

A plump young woman follows behind him. This must be the wolf. Sniff. No smell. Her palms stretch out, cautiously approaches my bed.   
The drugs must be messing with my senses. I sniff the air. All I can smell in the gloop of strawberry jam on the pocket of her coat. And nothing else. She could be wearing a scent blocker. There were many people at the institution who used potions to trick the wolf nose. 

Beneath her coat are more layers of white— blazer, shirt and trousers. 

A white lab coat. She is with him. She must be one of them. 

A growl escapes my lips. The witch moves behind the fairy’s chair, and the one in the lab coat takes a step forward. The fairy doesn’t move from her seat. 

She looks familiar. 

Was she sent to take me back? 

The answer is there on the tip of my tongue. 

a vampire. 

Vampire. Wait. I remember being bitten by an elf on a bus. My hackles rise at the memory, and my lip begins to curl. 

“You bit me,” the words slurring, not sounding as aggressive as I intended. 

“I know,” says the vampire, taking a step forward. “And If its any consolation, I’m truly sorry. but I was trying to help.” 

“Help?” I snarl, but I’m not sure my body can hold being on all fours for any longer, “How? By sucking me dry.”

“You were in heat,” says the fairy. She looks up at the witch, who is leaning against the sofa chair. 

Heat? Heat. My arms collapse beneath me, but I scramble back up, and lean against the wall. 

I pull at the neck of my t-shirt and take a deep whiff. It is there. A bitter sweetness. It’s been maybe three days since it has passed. Wait. “How long have I been here?”

The fairy looks to the vampire who cringes. 

“A week,” the vampire confesses.

“A week?” I bark, “Why? You just had to have Omega dick in your interspecies daisy ring.”

The vampire blanches and declares, “You're free to leave.”

“Fine,” I say, kicking the blanket to the floor, and take my first steps towards the door, “if someone could show me to the exit.”

For all my pluck, I don’t have a foot to stand on. Quite literally, these wobbly legs aren’t going to get me far. The Vampire reaches for me but stops when I growl.

“You'll be alone out there,” she says, standing with her hands behind her back, “we can help.” 

“Cut the bullshit!” I snap, my legs give in, and I fall back onto the bed, “You work for him… Claus.”

“Claws?” asks the witch looking to the fairy, and makes a claw-like gesture with his hands. 

“No idiot,” I grunt, “Dr Claus. Thats what we call him. The doctor with the round belly, and white beard and hair like Santa Claus.”

The witch shakes his head. “no one around here looks like that.”

“Of course you wouldn’t tell me the truth,” I say, “how can I trust any of you. This could just be my punishment for running away.”

“Pan,” the vampire whispers, and gives a curt nod.

The witch twists his hand in the air, some sort of string wrapped around his fingers. I recoil at the pungent smell of magic thick in the air. A green globe of magic floats before me. Reeking. Inside it, a tiny capsule-like metal thingy at its very centre.

“We found that at the back of your neck,” the vampire mutters. She turns around and starts to pace. This tiny room doesn’t have much space for her to move, so its as if she’s marching in the same spot, “Do you have any idea how that tracker got there or anyone who might want to keep track of you?”

A tracker. 

A tremble runs through my body. I don’t even realise that my fingers tracing the back of my neck where the tracker would’ve been. My hands drop to my lap. 

The Doctor knows where I am.

“Back off, Ra,” hisses the witch, tucking a strand of hair behind his ear, “you’re scaring him.” 

“We can ask some people to help you out if you want to go into hiding,” says the fairy, looking at me with pleading eyes, “but the safest place is here, Pioneer Academy.” 

“Hidden behind enchantments,” adds the witch, “no one would dare to challenge the kinds of creatures who live within these walls.” 

Creatures? There are more of them? How many more? 

There is so much I don’t know and they expect me to go with the flow. Anyone could be an agent of the doctor. But if what they’re saying is true, I would be a fool to pass up this opportunity.

How long can I run before he finds me? I survived the streets for the last few months hoping I’d be lost among the neanderthals. But it is only a matter of time before Claus gets tired of this game of cat and mouse. I’m exhausted. And it's not from the drugs. 

The safest place out of his reach is somewhere outside of South Africa. But I don’t have money or any connections to do that. I’m fucked no matter what I do. Taking them up on their offer is my only option at this point. 

I look around the room. Can I trust them? The fairy and witch don’t smell like lies. They smell of worry. They clearly smell like they don’t trust me. But their trust in the vampire is unwavering. This isn’t normal behaviour. Fairies stick with fairies. Witches with their kind, and vampires are not to be trusted. Ever!

“But you’re not even in the same clan,” I blurt out before I can stop my stupid mouth.

The witch snorts. And all my blood rushes to my face. 

A smile spreads across the fairies face. “We aren’t the best examples of our clans. Don't worry the other students are very much the pinnacle of what a Pioneer is meant to be. You’ll see when you leave Ralphie’s lab.” 

“my lab is only a small part of the academy’s grounds,” says Ra, walking straight for me, and sits down on the bed beside me. Completely ignoring my constant growls. “Each clan has a section of land, and then there are pieces that are shared by all members. Like the school grounds.”

I don’t know what she reads on my face. “oh, yes, this is a school that has students of every clan. Its some new age initiative thats supposed to create peace.”

“So I’m expected to interact with vampires?” I gulp. 

The vampire practically howls with laughter— her head is tilted fully back holding her belly. 

“We are kind of the black sheep of our clans. So we formed our own little gang,” the fairy says with a shrug. 

This only confirms my suspicion, that she isn’t quite normal. I bite my lip. They don’t seem to be bad people. Not that I’m a good judge of character. Or have much experience with people. 

“It looks like we are in a non-zero-sum game,” says Ra, crossing one leg over the other, “you don’t trust us.” 

“Don't send me back to Dr Claus,” I beg, tears blurring my vision. The words came out of my mouth. I would have to trust these creatures with my life. And after all that I’d seen. I’m not sure if I’m capable of trusting anyone. 

“Dr Claus, is he the one who captured you?” Ra asks, taking my hand in hers. I try to pull my hands from her grip but she holds onto them as if they’re her lifeline.

I’m too scared to speak. Everything is spilling out of me. Images I try to keep locked up. The scary wolves guarding us. The tiny cages. The innocent acting doctor. The cries of some wolf down a musty corridor. 

A shiver runs down my spine. I don’t want to remember. I don’t want to feel anything anymore. 

“Look Jun,” she says, “I know you’re scared, I’m scared too.” She all but confesses and scratches her brow. “I did something bad. If the council finds out that I bit you. There is no coming back. I had good intentions. But all people see is an unruly predator. I don’t know how to convince you that we’re the good guys.”

“You didn’t want to drink my blood?” I ask, sniffing the air, forgetting that I can’t use my nose to smell her lie. Damn, vampires.

She hunches over, giving off a sense of defeat. “no.” 

For a vampire, she acted more like Neanderthal. My image of a vampire is more stoic. With a heavy dose of evil. and yet more than anything else I want to trust this being who is crazy enough to wear Christmas elf costume out in public. 

Maybe they are all good. Maybe they aren’t affiliated with the Doctor. Maybe they really do want to help. maybe… 

“Why?” I ask, “Why do you want to help me?”

“Guilt,” she concedes, “shame… And because it's the right thing to do.” For the first time her eyes locks on mine. “let me help you.”

Why is she so desperate when she has the upper hand? She could easily hand me over to Dr Claus and be done with it. If anything, sending me back to the lab would completely get rid of any evidence of her crime. 

I have no family. No friends. No one is out there looking for me. No place to call home. I’m a runaway.

“You don’t have to say anything. Just a nod will do,” she says, her cold hand holds onto mine, and she doesn’t let go as if she knows she is the only thing tethering me from giving into misery, “did Dr Claus drug you?”

I’m sure she hears my erratic heart beat. Its hard to swallow the lump forming in my throat. I nod. 

“were you in a cage?”

Again I nod. I stare down at my hands. I escaped. I’m free. But most days I feel like this is all a dream and i’ll wake up back in a cage. 

“Was the Doctor working alone?”

i shake my head. “the…there.” i try to say, and swallow, “there were others,” i pull my hand from her grasp, pull my knee to my chest, and wrap my arms around my knees, “so many other omegas. i wasn’t there for as long as the others. and some were taken through a door and never came back.” Blinking back the tears, I try to focus my mind on the here and now. 

A glass of water pops in my line of sight. The witch presses the glass into my hand, crouches down so I’m looking down at his face. 

“Stay with us. We'll keep you safe,” says the witch. For the first in a long time, I feel like I’m being seen. not as an unwanted animal. This kindness almost breaks me. Or maybe it has. I greedily drink down the water, and he takes the glass from me. I wipe my mouth and eyes on my sleeve. 

“There's more of you?” cries the fairy, her lip wobbling. “they kept you locked up?” she blows her nose on a white handkerchief trimmed with golden lace. “Pan, we can’t let him go out there alone.” She looks to the witch as if he could solve all their problems. 

The vampire called Ra claps her hands together. And all our eyes look to her. “I need you to trust me,” she begs. 

I shake my head, scrubbing the tears from my cheeks.

“Then there is only one way to achieve mutual trust,” she announces, jumping up, “an unbreakable oath.”

The fairy gasps, her phone clatters to the ground. She seems almost frozen, her wings completely still. The vampire inches forward to pick it up, but the witch waves her away. 

“Thats a bit dramatic, no?” says the witch, as he turns and bends to pick up her phone. He sets down the phone and glass on the table beside the cookies. 

“Pan, he has no reason to trust me,” says Ra, reaching for him, but picks up a cookie instead, and stuffs it into her mouth, “He's a wolf, and I’m a vampire. Its part of our DNA to be suspicious of each other,” brushing stray crumbs off her coat, “and nothing says commitment more than this. Can you help us?”

The witch clucks his tongue, and pulls green string from within his sleeve. 

“What’s an unbreakable oath?” I say in alarm. 

“This won’t hurt one bit,” Ra says with a smile pushing through the worry on her face, “in this game. We both need assurances.”

I open my mouth to ask a question but Ra has more to say. 

“Its like a contract,” she continues, “A witch, aka Pan, officiates the ceremony, and we have witnesses. He's going to wrap magical string around us, to bind us. So if one of us breaks the vow, the bind around our wrist will scorch our skin,” she says with a shrug, “its probably going to hurt as fuck but on the plus side we’re Pioneers and it will eventually heal so it doesn’t matter. The broken string will signify the end of our contract.”

I’m not sure what she read on my face. But her face blanches. And she sputters, “I…i..is this what you want? Do you even want to attend the academy?”

I snort. What other option do I have? Like I have a choice?   
“I’m in,” I declare. 

The witch bends in front of me, so we were eye to eye. Green string in his hands. 

“We won’t hurt you,” he says with a wink, “my name is Pan. The crybaby over there is Ajax. The worrywart is Ralphie but we call her Ra and you can’t see them but Echo is around here somewhere.”

I hold my breathe. My teeth digging into my bottom lip. Wolves aren’t good with magic. It stinks. whats a good way to describe what magic smells like. Something like a fart from someone suffering from a stomach bug. 

Ok, and maybe it's not just the smell but it kind of scares me. 

“Just breath, ok?” whispers Pan, and wraps string around my wrist. “repeat after me: I, Jun Mei, will never reveal that Ralphie October bit me.” 

I let out a slow breath and say, “I, Jun Mei, will never reveal that Ralphie October bit me.” 

He turns to Ra, bind her as well and says the words, “I, Ralphie October, will protect Jun Mei from all harm.”

He loosely drapes the string around Ajax’s offered ankle, and she repeats his words, “I’ll keep your secret.” 

I’m not sure how its possible to attach string to the incorporeal form of the ghost whose form flickers like a lit match. But he does. Must be a witchy thing. And she says, “I won’t tell a soul.”

He winds the string around his forearm, and says, “We act as witnesses to your oath, and by your honour we will oversee you uphold these words.” 

Lastly, he loops the string around my wrist again, and closes the circuit. The string joining us forms a gibbous circle. And for this one moment I am connected to this group. These four strangers who don’t know my story but for some reason are willing to hide me away from The Doctor. 

The witch raises his hands above his head, his voice booms through the room, “Let it be done!”

He pulls on the string, and the point where it breaks, sparks and sends flames along the gibbous circle. Ash falls to the ground, leaving behind pieces of string that is touching our skin. I pull at the small green bracelet. 

“No matter how hard you pull at it, it won’t break,” says Pan, wiping his brow, “and no blade can cut it either. A reminder of our contract. Thats magic for you.”

The room stinks of magic. Almost making me gag. The rest of them don’t seem to be bothered by the smell. The fairy seems to be admiring her ankle, the ghost looks bored, and the vampire wears an obvious scowl on her face. 

“There are only two ways for the string to be removed. One: Ralphie breaks her vow. Or two: you break your vow. The innocents bracelet will turn to ash. And the oath-breaker will have their skin burnt, and will bear the mark,” says Pan, licking his lips. 

“Geez, Pan, you sure know how to lighten the mood,” says Ajax, the fairy, offering me cookies. There were only three cookies left, on the white plate. The smell of sugar, vanilla and chocolate is a welcomed time out from the sulphur lingering in the room. 

“Won't people know,” says Ralphie, lifting her wrist, “I mean come one. We each have one.”

“Oh Ye of little faith. These fuckers can’t be seen, touched, or smelt by anyone except the assholes in this room,” he snipes, “what do you take me for? an amateur?” 

The two are face to face, and I could sense a fight threatening to start. 

The tension is broken by a loud grumble from my belly. I can feel the heat rising from my chest all the way to my cheeks. 

“Maybe some soup,” sang Pan, skipping out of the room. 

“Pan prepared something light for you,” said the vampire, “we weren’t sure what you’d be able to keep down. And if you do well with the soup, I’m sure we can scrounged up something more meaty.” 

I grab a few treats and chewed. A week was a long time not to eat, especially for a wolf. The IV drip seems to be the thing that kept me feed during my heat. For school kids they seem to have all sorts of equipment, and have the smarts to back it up. I have so many questions that need to be answered. 

“Should we tell the Omega our plan? He is one of us,” says the ghost. What was her name again?

“Food first,” says Ralphie, and fluffing up my pillow “and then we plan our next move.” 

I settle back, as she pulls the blanket over my legs. 

A vampire biting a Pioneer is a crime. But this was the first time I didn’t have to ride the wave of my heat. I slept through the worst of it. And to be honest. I’m glad that I could avoid the icky feeling of heightened arousal. But I’m still uneasy.

Am I really one of them?

One of us. 

I've never been part of anything. My breath quickens. Butterflies are flip flopping in my stomach. I wipe my sweaty palms on the sheets. 

I know she doesn’t mean it that way but I can’t help taking it that way.

My stomach rolls at the scent of the approaching promise of a meal. The witch shoves a bowl chicken broth in my face, holds up a spoon of it to my lips and says, “Eat, and be strong, wolf.” 

“Jun!” I grumble, grabbing the spoon from his grip. I don’t know why I’m angry. Maybe its because I’m not an invalid. Or maybe its because I’m not some stray. I have a name.

The witch locks his eyes onto mine. Humour teases his lips. 

“Little Jun!” he says, with a twinkle in his eye.

“I’m not little,” I growl, and stiff spoonfuls of broth in my mouth. It's tasty but I’m more interested in finishing it as quickly as possible so I can be clued into their plans. 

“Slow down, little Jun. you’re going to make yourself sick,” says Pan, eases the bowl from me. He winks, takes my bowl and leaves the room. 

I drag my sleeve across my mouth. 

He is nothing like what I imagined a witch would be. Foul smelling. Treacherous. Power hungry. 

Even the fairy isn’t what I expected. They are supposed to be more grounded, wearing clothes of woven flowers and vines. This one seems more materialistic like a crow collecting sparkly things. 

And don’t get me started on the vampire called Ralphie. She is all wrong. Vampires as a rule avoids any physical contact that doesn’t involve a meal. Not her, she settles on the edge of my cot, leaning back against my leg as if we are the best of friends.

This is indeed an odd group. 

“The plan is as follows,” says Ralphie, “you being an omega will be kept secret.” 

“I cooked up scent inhibiters for you. So no wolf will even get a whiff of you’re an omega. You'll have to spray and take pills,” says pan, handing me a second bowl of broth and some bread, “no one will be any wiser. You'll be seen as just a regular wolf. And those bad guys will never get their hands on you ever again.”

“Only the people in this room will know and two other wolves. They're allies,” adds ralphie, giving my thigh a squeeze, “but we can’t trust anyone else especially wolves. As you’ve said. There were wolves working for Claus.”

The ghost doesn’t speak much, she simply nods and furiously scratches away on her ghosty notepad.

I let go of the breath I don’t even realise I’m holding. This is all so overwhelming. 

“It's going to be fine,” says Ralphie, stands up, and runs her hand down her trousers, “you think you’ll be up to meeting our other co conspirators.”

If I’m to trust these guys, I would need to start now. I jerk my head down and then up. 

“Just texted sabra,” announces Ajax, who makes sure to feed me the rest of the cookies on the plate. 

I would be lying to say that I’m not curious about what kind of wolves are associated with this ragtag group of Pioneers. They speak to me of many things but I can’t quite focus on anything anymore. And its getting harder and harder to keep my eyes open.

Ten minutes late the elevator dings, we are gathered in the main section of Ralphie’s lab. Waiting for the wolves. So many test tubes, and strange contraptions littered her counters. What kind of lab does she run? 

and a tall broad shouldered asian wolf and an athletic black wolf step out, in their Neanderthal skins. I shuffle back against the wall. Their scent was strong, I could smell them before they entered the building. And they smell of pack. 

Both strong wolves, but the woman is keeping her strength contained whereas the other seems to be letting his raw power run free. If i had to make a will guess, I’d have to say she is possibly their pack’s future Alpha. My experience with these types of wolves has been limited. So I could be very wrong. 

They don’t venture too far from the elevator. Being cautious about invading a new wolf’s space. I’m relieved and also afraid that they would smell so much of what I’m trying to hide. Thats the thing about a wolf’s nose. It could sniff out secrets, no matter how hard you try to hide them. 

Ralphie is the first to greet each of them with a hand shake. Wolves and vampires who are on friendly terms with one another. unheard of.

“Hi, Jun,” says the future alpha, “I’m Sabra, and this is,” smacks the back of her fellow wolf, “Pasha.”

This makes him puff out his chest, and stand to attention. 

I can tell the exact moment when Pasha catches my scent. His pupils dilate until only a sliver of amber can be seen around the edges. He clenches his jaw, and flares his nostrils. His wolf is so close to the surface that I can practically hear it whimper. 

The pull of my Omega to his wolf is too strong. I recoil. Its shameful how any form of rational thinking is overtaken by lust. I’m in control for now, but if I was in heat, I'd submit to any of his demands. 

Maybe its foolish to believe in these people. What guarantees do I have that they won’t sell me to these wolves instead? 

Pan and Ajax plant themselves between me and the wolves. As if to protect me. No that cants be right. The earth coloured string between his outstretched fingers forms a spider’s web. And Ajax grunts a warning as she texts furiously. 

“Jun, Pasha is a good guy,” says ralphie with a big grin on her face but even I could sense her distrust of the wolf, “he’s just struggling to keep his Alpha in his pants. ok. But they’re our allies and if you are to survive the academy without being discovered. We will have to put our trust in them.”

“I beg your forgiveness, Jun.” says Pasha, with furrowed brows, “I must admit I don't have much experience with Omegas.”

And I must admit that that silky hair, strong jaw and dark bedroom eyes tell me that this wolf doesn’t need pheromones or any sort of magic to find willing partners. His wolf form is probably just as attractive as his Neanderthal skin. But even with that face, he needs to know I’m not for sale. 

“We only came for a quick hello but we will leave you to regain your strength,” says Sabra, jerking her head to the elevator, “it was lovely meeting you, Jun. And I hope you’ll feel comfortable enough to call us friends one day.”

Pasha nods. And steps onto the elevator.

Sabra hands ralphie a brown envelope, who is all but doing jumping jacks, “The documents are sorted and are being looked over by the school. But we should get the go ahead on Friday.” 

“Excellent,” beams Ra. 

She gives Ralphie’s arm a squeeze and says, “Until Friday.” 

“I'll walk them out,” says Ra. and pops into the elevator with the wolves. 

Ajax grunts a bye i assume. and stuffs her phone in her pocket. 

And then ralphie and the wolves are gone. 

“you did well,” pan says, pushing me back to the room, and opens the covers before i get back in. he tucks the blankets around my legs. “They're harmless,” says pan, and shoves a mug into my shaky hands. I take a sip. Chamomile. 

“Sabra’s like a knight in shining armour,” he settles into the fairies vacated seat, “and the prince is delicious, isn’t he? But be warned, never fall for him, ok.” 

“Why?” I ask, handing the mug back. 

“He's monogamous. Duh!” he says, as if that explains it all. 

I’m not sure if I can ever trust a witch, a fairy and a vampire. Yes, they’ve promised to keep me safe from Dr Claus. But if I stay at the academy, no one can know I’m an Omega. its a huge risk.

And yet…

I get to be part of an Us.


End file.
